


Fulfilling a promise

by TypicalJadeBlood



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Angst, Other, Revenge, Taako and Merle's promise, This isn't vent writing what are you talking about
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-19
Updated: 2017-04-19
Packaged: 2018-10-21 01:20:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10674756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TypicalJadeBlood/pseuds/TypicalJadeBlood
Summary: "Taako, Merle...don't try to remind me.But if in your journeys, you ever meet a slimy, asshole, named Governor Kalen...Kill him on sight. Don't talk to him, don't listen to him, you kill him then, and there."Basically I just wanted to write this scene don't judge me





	Fulfilling a promise

Governor Kalen sighed, rubbing two fingers against his temple. After the disastrous events at Raven’s Roost, he’d decided a smaller town would be more his style. He could really grow his power in someplace small. He’d started too big at Raven’s Roost, incited too much rebellion. A little town like this, Rogue’s Run, much easier to keep control of.

That is, until the goblins started to get uppity. They decided they weren’t a fan of the prices that he had placed on their metal, and they started making a bit of a fuss. He grumbled, crumpling up the paper detailing their exploits, and he tossed the note aside. The only other man in the room, an advisor he kept, by the name of Roger Deiro. “Sir, this parchment is old, please be careful with-”

“Have there been any updates on the notice I sent out?” He barked, shutting Roger up immediately. “My militia apparently can’t handle a handful of goblins, I’d like to know if any heroes,” He added air quotes for emphasis, “Have decided to take care of it.” 

Roger took a deep breath, before putting on his best smile. “Sir, there have been four people who have come to claim the bounty you laid. A small kobold bard did not meet your qualifications, and barbarian showed promise but tried to duel the door. A pair though showed promise, named... “ He reached for a small roll of parchment in the pocket of his robes, pulling it out. “Merle, and...Taako.”

“Stupid names.” Kalen muttered, shrugging. “Well, if they get the job done, they could be called Dildo and Idiot for all I care.”

Roger opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a side door. A young boy jogged in, panting slightly as he slid to a stop. Roger knelt down, hearing the boy whisper for a bit, before he nodded and gestured. The boy nodded, turning and leaving the room quickly. “My lord, it seems the goblins have quelled, and are willing to adjust their prices and reach a settlement.”

Kalen sat a bit straighter. “Already? Short work, I like them already. How much do they want?” 

“That’s just it, sir. All they wanted was a meeting with you, in private.” 

An eyebrow was raised, but already Kalen was smiling. A chat, a few words, far cheaper than emptying his coffers for a minor problem. “Well fine, send them in.”

“Are you sure sir? They-”

“They want an audience, and they’ll get one.” He stood and stretched slightly. Roger looked up at him and sighed after a moment.

“...as you wish, sir. I’ll have them sent in.”

 

Kalen was sitting on his throne, tapping his fingers against the armrest. Turns out “Sending them in” meant “We’ll have to wait an hour for them to get back.” He was just about to leave, and call it a failure, when the sound of the doors opening caught his attention. Kalen glanced up just in time to see two people step through. 

He was a touch surprised by the two newcomers, striding purposefully forward towards him. On the left, a tall and beautiful elf walked with long strides, an umbrella swinging from his right hand, his robes billowing dramatically with every step. On the right, a more surprising figure, a dwarf clad in cleric’s armor, flowers sticking almost haphazardly out of his hair and bear. His right eye was covered with a black eyepatch, marked simply with a flower outline. And his arm...Kalen could only see from the wrist down, but it appeared as though it was made of wood.

Kalen was surprised, not just because these two men were apparently the solvers of his goblin puzzle, but also the look in their eyes caught him off guard. He was used to heroes full of swagger, believing themselves masters of their craft and utterly untouchable. They were always ready to tell their stories. But not these two, they were dedicated. Maybe these two would be the strong, silent types and Kalen wouldn’t have to do much grandstanding. 

“Ah, welcome.” He said, in the voice that he usually reserved for diplomats and public appearances. “You two have done a great service to Rogue’s Run. Those goblins were certainly a tenacious lot, hmm?”

The two heroes nodded in response, though they didn’t say anything back. ‘Too good to speak to me, hmm?’ Kalen thought, smirking slightly. ‘Insolent whelps.’ “Well, you two deserve some sort of reward, though I’ve been told you have no want for gold. Is there something else you’ll have of me...” He glanced down at his hand quickly, checking the marks he had made earlier. “Merle, and...Taako?” His smirk grew slightly. Any day he didn’t have to open his coffers to sellswords and adventurers was a good day, and favors not in writing were empty promises. 

The dwarf stepped forward, lifting his right hand, the wooden one. He finally spoke, “Just a handshake, if you please.” His voice was gruff, and his voice had something in it that made Kalen pause. Was that ice? Did he slight this dwarf at some point? No, he’d remember that sort of thing. He reached down, clasping the dwarf’s hand. 

The wooden fingers tightened, hard enough that Kalen let out a gasp of pain. The sleeve of the shirt pulled back, and along the length of his wooden forearm, rifts broke open. From these rifts, a few tendril-like branches moved with snake-like speed, sliding over Kalen’s hand and tightening. With a tug, Merle pulled the Governor down to his knees. 

Taako’s robes billowed again as he turned the umbrella, pointing it to the ground at Kalen’s knees. “Move Earth.” The tiles under him cracked, the dirt and clay foundations of the building seeping up like seeking fingers, wrapping around his legs. With a tug, and another gasp of pain, Kalen was partially submerged in the sifting earth. 

He struggled in vain for a few moments, but from the thighs down he was trapped in the ground. “Wh-what is the meaning of this?!” He cried, but neither Merle and Taako reacted to it. Merle’s vines finally unraveled, but at the same time the shifting earth reached up and pulled his arms back, trapping all four limbs in the churning dirt. He continued to struggle, but stopped when he felt a tap on his chest. The tip of the umbrella was resting an inch above his heart. 

Kalen looked up, searching for something in Taako’s face, but it was a mask of cold determination. The hand holding the umbrella was unmoving, steady. 

“This is for Julia.”

The tip of the umbrella glittered and fired, Magic Missiles piercing his chest like it was paper. Kalen’s spine arched and he gasped, blood filling his mouth while more dripped from the magic in his torso. 

Merle stepped back and stood beside Taako and watched, matching stone faces as the Governor twisted, coughed, squirmed, but his movements were losing energy, and soon all Kalen was doing was coughing up the blood in his lungs. With a light flick of Taako’s hand, the ground released its grip, leaving the dying man in an unceremonious heap. Kalen tried to get up, to fight, to say something, but his legs gave out and he finally fell forward, hitting the ground with a thump. 

He did not move again. 

  
  


Taako swung his umbrella with his left hand, Merle following at a jogging waddle. Rogue’s Run was half a day behind them, neither had wanted to be there when Kalen was found. “Think we should tell Magnus?” Taako asked, glancing over at Merle, and the stone of far-speech around his neck. 

“It's not like he'll really remember him.” Merle replied, shaking his head. “Not sure if it'll even click in his head.”

Taako thought, the swinging of the Umbra Staff stopping as he stopped walking. After a moment he slipped a hand into his cloak, pulling out the stone around his neck. “Hey M-dog.”

The stone was silent for a moment, before there was a crackle of static, and Magnus’s voice came through. “What is it, Taako?”

“We uh…” He glanced over at Merle, who raised his eyebrows and shrugged. “You probably won't remember, but you asked us to do something? And we just did it. So that's done. Don't sweat it.”

There was a few moments of silence before a crackling, and Magnus’s voice again. “I uh...thank you, I guess. Like, did you get eggs or-”

Merle picked up his own stone, cutting Magnus off by speaking into it. “It was for Julia.” He said simply, but immediately Magnus fell silent. Merle and Taako shared a look, both of them raising eyebrows, before the stone crackled on again.

“...thank you, both of you.” Came Magnus’s voice, slightly shaky at the end. “Tell me you said something cool.”

“Hell yeah we did.” Taako grinned. 

“Good, I don’t think I’d be able to let you two live it down if you didn’t.” Magnus laughter made the stone flicker slightly with the sound. “See you two when you get back.”

“See you, Magnus!” Merle said into the stone, before the lights on both died, the connection terminated. Taako and him shared a smile and a nod before turning back to the road, a new spring in their step. 

**Author's Note:**

> It's not long, but hopefully it's alright! All comments and criticisms appreciated, have a good day y'all~


End file.
